Within a mobile network, such as a 3G or 4G wireless network, physical cell identifiers (PCIs) must be allocated to base stations in a manner avoiding collision conditions (e.g., same identifier used by adjacent cell base stations) and/or confusion conditions (e.g., same identifier used by base stations within “n” cells of each other, such as adjacent to an adjacent cell). A collision condition occurs when, illustratively, two adjacent base stations (e.g., an adjacency of “1” wherein base stations supporting adjacent cellular regions) have been assigned the same identifier. The confusion condition occurs when, illustratively, two base stations sharing a common adjacent region have been assigned the same identifier (e.g., an adjacency of “2” wherein base stations supporting nonadjacent cellular regions share a common adjacent cellular regions).
With fixed location base stations such as spread out over a state or country, the appropriate allocations may be determined by calculation. However, within the context of very dense wireless networks, such as temporary installations at trade shows or other high user events, the allocation of PCIs is relatively difficult and the validation of such allocations is problematic using existing techniques. Currently, there are two techniques used to allocate identifiers:                (1) Systems engineers perform complex calculations and allocate PCIs a priori. Unfortunately, any errors or omissions by system engineers require additional calculations. Furthermore, the allocation of identifiers provided by the systems engineers must be validated in operation. All of this takes too much time.        (2) Identifiers are assigned on an ad hoc basis as a system grows. This may or may not work in terms of efficient allocation of identifiers. Moreover, depending upon the type and direction of organic growth associated with a system, different identifiers assigned during that growth may in retrospect prove to have been inefficiently or unwisely selected.        
Both of the above techniques break down in certain conditions, such as the need for a temporary need to support many users as in the case of a trade show or other event likely to draw a large number of wireless device users. For example, it is critically important to divide sufficient wireless infrastructure in and around a facility hosting a tradeshow or other event such that a very large number of users may communicate using voice and data applications. In setting up such a temporary network, it is preferable to avoid the lengthy calculations associated with the first technique and the hit or miss approach associated with the second technique.